Benny Mawel, Jayapura – The United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) has held national mourning ceremonies at the weekend for the death of Vanuatu independence campaigner Father Allen Nafuki and prayed for the Papuan people to be accepted as full members of the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG).

Yerica Lai, Jakarta – A second round of arrests netting suspected Islamist militants in the easternmost province of Papua, security and intelligence analysts say, indicates that religious extremist groups were seeking to set up camp outside of their usual bases on Java, Sumatra and Sulawesi.

Wamena (KT) – The Jayawijaya district police arrested 32 people alleged to be members of the West Papua National Committee (KNPB) in Ilekma District, Napua, this afternoon, Friday June 18. The 32 were taken in for questioning in relation to a meeting to plan a conference.

Jayapura, Jubi – The Papuan People's Assembly (MRP) and the West Papuan People's Assembly (MRPB) have filed a lawsuit against President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo following the unilateral and allegedly unlawful effort by the central government and the House of Representatives to deliberate a draft bill amending Law No.

Benny Mawel, Jayapura, Jubi – Papuan People's Assembly (MRP) chair Timotius Murib has reminded Home Minister Tito Karnavian that the evaluation process of the Papua Special Autonomy (Otsus) Law has failed to comply with the Otsus Law, which requires an evaluation be done through hearings with the MRP.

Jakarta, CNN Indonesia – Papua People's Assembly (MRP) chairman Timotius Murib said that the four regents who recently declared a new province, the South Papua province, had yet to submit a proposal on the expansion to the MRP.

Jakarta, Jubi – Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Mahfud MD has spoken that war would not solve the Papua conflict but law enforcement against the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB) was a part of the strategy to expedite a dialogue with the Papuan people, suggesting the TPNPB was only a small group and not representing the Papuans.

Jakarta – Indonesian Human Rights Watch (Imparsial) researcher Hussein Ahmad is calling on the government to withdraw all non-organic Indonesian military (TNI) troops who originate from outside Papua in order to stem the violence which has been taking place in Papua.

Benny Mawel, Jayapura, Jubi – The Jayapura Police has reportedly inspected a discussion and book launch of the book "Demanding Dignity, Papuans Punished" by Theo van den Broek on Friday, June 11, 2021.

Jakarta – West Papua National Liberation Army-Free Papua Organisation (TPNPB-OPM) spokesperson Sebby Sambon has welcomed a directive by President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo to resolve the Papua conflict with dialogue, not just armed conflict.

West Papuans have joined the people of Vanuatu in mourning the loss of independence and human rights campaigner Pastor Allen Nafuki who died at the weekend aged 72.

As well as campaigning for Vanuatu's independence from Britain and France in the 1970s, Pastor Nafuki also embraced the West Papuan struggle for freedom from Indonesia.

Jayapura, Jubi – The Communion of Churches in Indonesia (PGI) has expressed their support to the Papuan People's Assembly (MRP), calling on the government to evaluate the Special Autonomy (Otsus) Law thoroughly while involving the MRP in the process.

Benny Mawel, Jayapura – The United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) believes that the Indonesian government has nine motives behind the branding of National Liberation Army of West Papua as terrorists.

Executive director Markus Haluk of ULMWP said this during a seminar and book discussion about Demanding Dignity, Papuans Are Punished in Jayapura on Friday.

Konradus Epa, Jakarta – Indonesian authorities have arrested a Papuan pro-independence leader for allegedly spreading false and inflammatory stories on social media, including fake news about Catholic Church leaders.

Jakarta – Human Rights activist Veronica Koman has confirmed reports that there was communication between herself and the West Papua National Committee (KNPB) chairperson for the Merauke region known by the initials EKM.

Maria Baru, Jayapura – Papua Legal Aid Foundation (LBH) Director Emanuel Gobay is asking the Papua regional police (Polda) to immediately transfer Victor Yeimo from the Mobile Brigade Command Headquarters (Mako Brimob) detention centre to the Polda Papua detention centre.

The United Liberation Movement of West Papua has accused Indonesian "colonial forces" of a new massacre with the killing of three civilians, "adding to the hundreds of thousands of West Papuans killed during six decades of occupation".

Andita Rahma, Jakarta – The Nemangkawi task force – a joint military and police force under a specific task in Papua – announced the arrest of Manuel Metemko on Thursday. The security forces claim the aforementioned individual is responsible for spreading false information, hoaxes, provocations, and hatred messages in Papua.

SM Said, Jayapura – The Nemangkawi Cyber Ops Task Force have arrested the owner of a Facebook account in the name of Manuel Metemko for allegedly spreading fake information or hoaxes and inciting hatred or ethnic, religious, racial and inter-group (SARA) hostility between individuals or social groups.

Hengky Yeimo & Abeth You, Nabire – Rights activist Yones Douw said his party had received a testimony from a number of residents in Ilaga District, saying three civilians from Nipuralome Village were shot dead by the Police's Nemangkawi task force on Friday, June 4, 2021.

Jakarta, CNN Indonesia – The National Police is going to autopsy the body of Pastor Yeremia Zanambani, who was allegedly shot dead by Indonesian Military (TNI) personnel in Intan Jaya Regency in September last year.

Arjuna Pademme, Jayapura – The National Commission of Human Rights (Komnas HAM) Papua has suggested the government return the refugees of armed conflict in Puncak Regency back to their respective hometowns.

Konradus Epa, Jakarta – A full autopsy has been conducted on the body of a Protestant pastor shot dead in Indonesia's Papua region last year as part of an official investigation into a group of soldiers suspected of killing him.

The autopsy on Reverend Yeremia Zanambani of the Gospel Tabernacle Church of Indonesia was carried out on June 5 in Papua's Intan Jaya district.

Jakarta – The armed conflict in Papua has escalated recently with a series of armed contacts being unavoidable and more loss of life.

The West Papua National Liberation Army-Free Papua Organisation (TPNPB-OPM) has also warned all Indonesians working in Papua to immediately leave the land of the Bird of Paradise as Papua is known.

Chris Barrett and Karuni Rompies, Singapore – Indonesian troops on a manhunt for rebels in the strife-torn region of West Papua have been given carte blanche to shoot anyone, a local priest warns, after the government labelled armed separatists "terrorists".

Genta TM, Rahmad Nasution, Jakarta – The XVIII/Kasuari Regional Military Command is striving to improve the welfare of soldiers stationed in West Papua by providing flats to them.

The flats, built on a total area of 780 square meters inside the military command compound's complex in Manokwari, the capital of West Papua Province, was inaugurated on June 2.

Hans Nicholas Jong, Jakarta – Palm oil licenses covering concessions twice the size of Los Angeles have been rescinded by the local government in Indonesia's West Papua province due to violations by the license holders.

Continuing telecommunications outages in Indonesia's Papua region have created a media blind spot by blocking the flow of information about ongoing conflict in its central highlands.

Twelve people have been arrested over an alleged terrorist plot to attack an archbishop and police stations in the Indonesian province of Papua, local police officials said.

Hellena Souisa – Tensions have been rising in the past month, between pro-independence campaigners and the military in Indonesia's eastern most provinces of West Papua and Papua that share a border with Papua New Guinea.

During that time they have been frequent internet blackouts, making it hard to get up to date information out of the contested region.

Max Lane – Recent events in Papua underscore the fact that there is no solution that is entirely free of risk for Jakarta. Instead, the choice is between separate sets of risks.

Konradus Epa, Jakarta – Indonesian police say they have arrested 10 suspected Islamic terrorists in Papua, foiling a plot to attack several churches in the country's Christian-majority region.

Jakarta – West Papua National Liberation Army-Free Papua Organisation (TPNPB-OPM) spokesperson Sebby Sambom says they are not prepared to hold a dialogue with or pursue diplomacy with the Indonesian government unless it is mediated by the United Nations.

Jakarta – Amid the deepening trust deficit between the Papuan people and the government, many in the country's easternmost territory suspect that the disruption to the local internet service in April was actually a deliberate move to silence anti-government critics and activists.

Indonesia's government is being urged to release the West Papua pro-independence activist Victor Yeimo.

The West Papua National Committee spokesman was arrested earlier this month over his alleged role in widespread anti-racism protests in 2019. Yeimo is facing 11 charges, including treason, arson, and incitement.

Laurens Ikinia – Papuans are in mourning after the recent passing of Klemen Tinal, the Vice Governor of Papua Province.

News of his sudden death at Abdi Waluyo Hospital in Jakarta on Friday 21 May at 0400 am local time came as a shock to the indigenous people of the Indonesian-Melanesian province.

Budiarti Utami Putri, Jakarta – Human rights activist and lawyer for Papua, Veronica Koman, on Thursday questioned the Indonesian government's commitment to accommodate the participation of Papuan indigenous in the 'Papua Special Autonomy Bill' as she said House members plan to hold the meeting behind closed doors on Monday, May 31.

Antara, Jakarta – The Indonesian State Intelligence Agency (BIN) in Thursday's meeting with the House of Representatives (DPR) recommended the House to quickly pass the second changes in Bill No. 21/2021 on the special autonomy in the Papua Province.

Budiarti Utami Putri, Jakarta – The chairperson of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP), Benny Wenda, responded to what he believes is a baseless allegation made by the Indonesian State Intelligence (BIN) against separatist groups.

Laily R, Rahmad Nasution, Jakarta – Indonesia's army and police personnel deployed in Papua are entrusted with enforcing the law against armed terrorist groups and safeguarding the government's development agenda in the easternmost province, a high-ranking police officer stated.

Imam B, Rahmad Nasution, Jakarta – The National Counterterrorism Agency (BNPT) has put five leaders heading separatist terrorist groups operating in Papua and West Papua on its most-wanted list.

The agency will track down the leaders, in accordance with Indonesia's Law No. 5/2018 on Terrorism, BNPT chief Coms.Gen.Boy Rafli Amar said here on Thursday.

Senator the Hon Marise Payne
Minister for Foreign Affairs
PO Box 6100
Senate, Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600

27 May 2021

Dear Foreign Minister,

Jim Elmslie and Camellia Webb-Gannon – "Destroy them first. We will discuss human rights matters later." These are the reported words of Bambang Soesatyo, chairman of the People's Consultative Assembly to the Indonesian military (TNI), last month.

Konradus Epa, Jakarta – Churches in Papua have offered to mediate talks between the Indonesian government and separatist groups in a bid to ease tensions in the restive region.

Maire Leadbeater – New Zealand is more than a bystander – our Government repeatedly endorses Indonesia's sovereignty over West Papua and has defence ties with Indonesia.

Rahel Narda Chaterine, Jakarta – Human rights activist and lawyer Veronica Koman has refuted accusations by State Intelligence Agency (BIN) Deputy Chief Lieutenant General Teddy Lhaksmana Widya Kusuma who said that Koman is taking advantage of the 2021 National Sports Week (PON) to create instability in Papua.

Erlina Fury Santika, Jakarta – Coordinating Minister for Security, Politics and Legal Affairs Mahfud MD claims that 92 percent of the Papuan people support the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia (NKRI).

This was conveyed after he met with several Papuan figures following a meeting with the House of Representatives (DPR) Commission I on Tuesday May 25.

Syaiful H, Rahmad Nasution, Jakarta – Indonesia's top security minister, Mahfud MD, highlighted the government's priority to seek peaceful solutions to the Papuan issue though will continue to crack down on armed Papuan terrorist groups that have threatened most Papuan communities.

Indonesian police have forcefully dispersed a number of West Papuan protests around the region today.

The protestors were calling for the release of pro-independence activist Victor Yeimo who was taken into police custody over two weeks ago.

Charles Maniani, Manokwari – Hundreds of people in Manokwari from the Papuan People's Solidarity (SRP) once again articulated their opposition to the extension of Special Autonomy in Papua and other demands on the morning of Tuesday May 25.